The most notable aspect of Neil Lennon’s team selection for the Betfred Cup quarter-final against Partick Thistle was the debut of Jeremie Frimpong, the summer singing from Manchester City.
Frimpong, who is only 18 and at the very start of his professional career, turned in a solid performance in Celtic’s 5-0 win.
In fact, so well did Frimpong perform that he was named man of the match, a great achievement for a debut.
Understandably, he was thrilled with the experience of making his Celtic debut.
“Amazing support”
“Delighted to make my competitive debut for Celtic and receiving MOTM. Great performance from the lads tonight and amazing support from the fans” he wrote in an Instagram post after the game.
Frimpong may have been handed his Hoops debut at right-back due to injuries. Moritz Bauer has an ankle problem and Hatem Abd Elhamed had to move to centre-back.
But Frimpong was very accomplished on the night. He could have been overawed by the occasion, but he handled it very well.
Manager should not fear selecting player for league game
That being the case, the Hoops boss should have no fears about starting Frimpong against Hibs on Saturday should Celtic’s injury problems not clear up.
Playing against a Premiership side will undoubtedly be a step-up in class than playing against Championship Partick Thistle.
However, if Frimpong is going to be a regular in the first-team this season, he will need to get used to playing in difficult games.
Therefore, it might not be the worst idea to start Frimpong against Hibs. If he doesn’t start the game, he has surely at least earned a place on the bench.
That would show that he remains in the manager’s plans, even if he isn’t starting the game.
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